Furniture, Wood and Cabinetry Finishing - Refinishing 1950 dining rm table
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01-24-00, 05:46 PM
I am stripping a mahogny (we believe) veneer table. I would like to stain black diamonds in the center and use pastel white on the rest of the table.Question, will the black bleed into the grain if I tape the edges, and what product do you recommend for finish. I was thinking of tung oil to give it the "hand rubbed" look. Can I do this use the two stains without making a huge mess of the project???
01-25-00, 12:53 PM
Bridget:
Yes, even with taping the edges, the stain will bleed. You need to layout your pattern, and use a steel straight edge and an Xacto knife (or utility knife with w NEW blade) and score the edge of the pattern. THEN tape the edges along the cut. Apply the stain sparingly (WHITE FIRST). After that dries, remove the tape and retape to stain the black diamonds. Allow the white at least overnight to dry before proceeding.
Tung oil is not going to give you a "hand rubbed" look, if you and I have the same idea of hand rubbed. Tung oil is a very durable finish and very easy to apply, but it doesn't fill the grain well. If you're dealing with mahogany, you're talking about 8 to 12 coats to get a smooth finish. I'd suggest ordinary varnish or polyurethane.
One method I use for a "rubbed" finish is this: After the finish (varnish, 3 coats) has dried, I rub it down with a Scotch Brite pad wrapped around a wood block, working with the grain. This method removes the 'nubbies' and erant brush marks and leaves a dead smooth, satin finish. I machine sand first, with 600 grit wet/dry paper, lubricated with water.
If you decide to use varnish or poly, use a foam throw away brush. It lessens the likelyhood of brush marks greatly.
Of course, lacquer is the most easily applied, readily available in aerosoles, but it will water spot without care. Varnish and Poly won't.
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George T.
Yes, even with taping the edges, the stain will bleed. You need to layout your pattern, and use a steel straight edge and an Xacto knife (or utility knife with w NEW blade) and score the edge of the pattern. THEN tape the edges along the cut. Apply the stain sparingly (WHITE FIRST). After that dries, remove the tape and retape to stain the black diamonds. Allow the white at least overnight to dry before proceeding.
Tung oil is not going to give you a "hand rubbed" look, if you and I have the same idea of hand rubbed. Tung oil is a very durable finish and very easy to apply, but it doesn't fill the grain well. If you're dealing with mahogany, you're talking about 8 to 12 coats to get a smooth finish. I'd suggest ordinary varnish or polyurethane.
One method I use for a "rubbed" finish is this: After the finish (varnish, 3 coats) has dried, I rub it down with a Scotch Brite pad wrapped around a wood block, working with the grain. This method removes the 'nubbies' and erant brush marks and leaves a dead smooth, satin finish. I machine sand first, with 600 grit wet/dry paper, lubricated with water.
If you decide to use varnish or poly, use a foam throw away brush. It lessens the likelyhood of brush marks greatly.
Of course, lacquer is the most easily applied, readily available in aerosoles, but it will water spot without care. Varnish and Poly won't.
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George T.
01-25-00, 08:16 PM
Thank you, your help is greatly appreciated!!!